Apparatus for treating silicates



W. GLAESEH.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING SILICATES.

APPLICATION H.150 SEPT. 19, I917.

Patented July .20, 1920.

2 SHEElS-SHEEI I.

W. GLAESEH.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING 'SILICATES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I9, 1917.

Patnbed July 20, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f/v I/EA/ TOCT/ 14 0/75" 6/0666r m r Cy Wale/veg? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER GLAES ER, OF FULLERTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO POTASI-I EXTRACTION CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPO- RATIQN on NEW YoaK APPARATUS FOR TREATING SILIGATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1920.

Application filed September 19, 1917. Serial No. 192,182.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVALTER GLAnsER, a subject of the German Emperor, and a resident of Fullerton, county of Lehigh, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in, Apparatus for Treating silicates, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and thebest mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The present invention, relating, as indicated, to a furnace apparatus is more particularly concerned with the provision of mechanism for treating materials in the absence of oxidizing conditions and in the absence of moisture. A further object of the invention is the provision of a continuously operating and automatic apparatus for carrying out the several steps involved in such a treatment of materials for the above purpose. To the accomplishment of-the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation partially in section of a conveyer, crusher and hopper; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the upper end of the rotary kiln and the material feed ing means associated therewith and leading from the hopper; Fig. '3 is a similar view of the kiln and the furnace and stackchamber; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the discharge hopper; and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 1 there is shown the end of an indirect drier in the form of a conduit 1, the material sliding through this drier, by rea son of the inclined position of the same, and moving into a second inclined conduit 2, at the lower end of which are disposed crushing rolls 8. These rolls 3 are adapted to grind the material to a powder. The material upon passing through the rolls 3 falls into the lower end of a conveyer conduit 1, in which is mounted a suitable type of conveyer 5, which is adapted to move the material to the upper end of the conduit I, from which it is delivered into a hopper 6. The use of a conveyer between the feeding hopper 6 and the drier l is not of course necessary, for these two elements can be so placed that the drier will feed directly into the hopper, but this is difficult in the ordinary installations of the apparatus by reason of the great height at which the drier must be located to be above the hopper.

The hopper 6 is in the form of a cylindrical vertically disposed conduit having a conically formed bottom 7, terminating in a conduit 8 which is connected with a horizontally disposed feeding conduit 9. In the conduit 8 there is provided a valve preferably in the form of a horizontal slide 10, by means of which the supply of material to the conduit 9 is controlled. In the conduit 9 there is mounted a conveyer or feeder, preferably in the form of a screw 11, attached to the right end of which is a shaft 12 extending exteriorly of the conduit 9 and operated by means of the sprocket 13, which may be driven from any suitable source of power. The conduit 9 is supported in the casing 15 by means of a bracket or spider 17. At its other end the feed conduit 9 is received within the upper end of a slightly inclined rotatable kiln 14. The connection between the conduit 9 and the kiln 14L is made tight by housing the end of the former in a chamber 15, which is provided with bearing flanges 16 forming a tight joint about the end of the kiln 11 and permitting the latter to rotate therein. The size and form of the chamber 15 is of course immaterial so long as it is of suflicient size to house the conduit 9, and to also house a small tube 18 extending from within the end of the kiln through the chamber 15 where it is preferably connectecl to afan 19 leading to a condenser not shown for withdrawing and condensing any moisture or other condensable material which may be generated in the kiln. The kiln 14 is of considerable length and is inclined at a very slight angle to the horizontal, the angle being suflicient to permit the conduit to feed the material therealong by its own rotation, this feeding action being assisted and controlled by means of iiiternal, longitudinally disposed flanges 20,

which serve to lift the material as the kiln rotates "and then drop the same into the bottom. The precise construction of the kiln will be determined to a large extent by the output required, and it may be built up of a number of sections bolted together, or it 7 may be formed as an integral tube depend ing upon this requirement. 7 7

At its lower or discharge end the kiln 14L enters a receiver 21, the 1011113 betweenthe kilnand receiver being made air tight by flanges 22 and 23 on the receiver and kiln.

respectively; these flanges being provided with suitable packing material therebetween. The receiver is preferably in the form of a cylindrical chamber having a conical bottom opening into a measuring discharge chute 50 in which are spaced gates or slides 51 and 52. The material may be allowed to deposit on the gate 52 until above the level of the gate 51, which is open meanwhile, and the latter may then be closed, and the material between the gates drawn oii. The principal function of the double, gates is to prevent the admission of air to the apparatus while material is being cooled and withdrawn. The kiln is supported upon rollers 24 and 25 mounted on suitable supporting piers 26, placed adjacent to the ends of the kiln and are supported intermediate these ends in an outside shell 27, which is disposed concentrically about the kilnl l and maintained in such position by means of spiders 28 attached to the kiln and extending to the outer shell. This shell is provided with a plurality of laterally extending transverse flanges or tires. 29, which ride upon suitable rollers 30 mounted upon supports'ill. The shell and kiln are rotated as a unit by means oi a pinion 32 which mesh with a large gear 33 attached to the outside shell between the tires 29 and the pinion 32 and is driven at a speed which will give the kiln a rotation of a few turns a minute.

The shell 27 extends at its two ends into a 'furnace chamber 85Ca'nd stack chamber 36 respectively, these chambers being formed of suitable refractory material and being built up from the floor level to a point above the shell 27; The furnace chamber is of substantially rectangular cross SGCtlOI1, l)6- ing provided with grate bars 37 and a furnace arch 38 disposed beneath the kiln ll to protect the same from the hottest gases,

The products of combustion from the furnace pass upwardly through the furnace chamber around the protecting arch 37 and then pass around the kiln 14 through the shell 27 to the stack chamber 36 which is nea /p24 also of substantially rectangular cross tion and leads to a stack 39 v v It has already been stated that this apparatus is intended for the treatment ofmaterials under non-oxidizing and'perfeetly dry conditions. Accordingly the two ends of the kiln are sealed tigh tly against the introduction of air and a condensing tube 18 is provided to withdraw and condense whatever 5 moistureimaybepresent in the material as it enters the kiln. Inorder to economize on the heating as much as possible it is desirable to prevent the escape of products of combus-- tion while passing through the shell 27jand the two ends of thisshell aretheretore con structed .to rotate snugly within suitable openings formed in the chambers'35' and although no precautions need to be taken to make these two joints absolutely air tight.

The temperature which I have :found to exist in the apparatus varies considerable in the various parts of the kiln, the temperature a being highest 0i course in that portio'n of the kiln in the furnace chamber.

Other modes of applying the principle f w my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as re gards themeehanisin herein-disclosed, arovidedthe means stated by anyLof thefollow.

ing claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed. 7, i V V I therefore particularly point out and distmctl claim asmy invention 1. 1 scribed, the combination of, a jstationaryif "furnace chamber, awstationary stack cha nber spaced thereirom,,a rotary tubular shell connecting and affording communication between said chambers, akihi mounted in said 11 apparatus of the character de shell and extending through said chambers I and projecting beyond tliejfroiit wall or said "furnace chamber, and receiving means associated with the projecting" end oi said kiln beyond the wall of'tlie furnace chamber. 7

2. In apparatus of the character d scribed, the combination of av stationary furnace chamber, a stationary stack 'ehamberspaeed WALTER GLAESER. 

